Different
by Cactus Bob
Summary: Yugi has a secret. Will he overcome his fear of rejection and tell his friends in time to save them?
1. Wrong

Hello everyone, and thanks for reading! I'm aware that my last story was a bit of a flop, but I'm going back to the supernatural now. I hope you like it!

Yu-Gi-Oh © Kazuki Takahashi

This story © Me

* * *

"Something's wrong with me…" Yugi said to himself, as he sat on his bed with his knees drawn up to his chest. "Something's very wrong with me…" he repeated again, beginning to rock back and forth in sheer panic.

His room was in an extreme state of disarray, which was one of the reasons Yugi was glad that Atem wasn't there that on that unfortunate day. He was, in fact, on an expedition with Dr. Hawkins, somewhere in Egypt. Dr. Hawkins had found a particularly interesting Egyptian tablet and had invited Atem to come and help him research. Atem had agreed, but only after extensively checking to make sure Yugi was OK with it. Yugi choked out a chuckled. He could be so protective sometimes. Yugi wondered what Atem would do if he could see him now.

Atem usually made it a priority to keep the room neat. Yugi, however, did not have such a priority. So naturally, their bedroom had become messy within the first few hours of Atem's absence. But this was a worse mess than usual. Yugi, too, was a worse mess than usual. His cheeks were stained with small rivers of red water. Tears mixed with blood. Never a good combination.

This was the second time it had happened. At first he thought that it was just a sham, that he was imagining things. But it was real. Horribly real.

Yugi cried harder, and the red tears fell faster. Various objects strewn on his desk began to shake. "No…" he muttered, holding his head. "No, make it stop."

As if on cue, the objects stopped shaking. Yugi sighed in relief, and lay down on his back, exhausted from fear and mental exertion. Atem was getting back tomorrow, and _nothing _like that could happen around him. Period.

"Something's wrong with me…" he said again. "And no one else can know."

* * *

Atem was sitting in a seat next to Dr. Hawkins and Rebecca, riding on a plane back to his true home. It was comforting to taste the sand again and to feel the beating scorch of the Egyptian sun, but Atem knew that he truly belonged with Yugi and the others.

"I think that went very well, don't you, Atem?" Dr. Hawkins asked excitedly over the buzz of the passengers sandwiched into the plane with them.

Atem smiled and nodded. Dr. Hawkins did love his research. "I hope I helped." he said.

"Oh, yes you did! I was unsure as to the exact meaning of that particular text, but you pulled through." the Professor said encouragingly. He began to murmur to himself, falling deep into thoughts of his research.

"I am looking forward to seeing Yugi again, though." Atem said, smiling softly as he remembered his partner's antics. He had probably eaten all the peanut butter and made a mess of their room.

"How is my little Yugi?" Rebecca asked, perking up as she heard her boyfriend's name. "He hasn't been seeing anyone else in my absence, has he?"

Atem was unsure of what to say. Yugi tried to avoid romantic conversations with Rebecca whenever she stayed in Domino. Frankly, he tried to avoid her altogether. But Atem decided to humor her for now. Hopefully, Yugi wouldn't be too angry at him when he got back. "He doesn't have… another girlfriend, no."

Rebecca squealed with joy. "That's great! I'll talk to him when we get back to Domino."

"As will I, Rebecca." the Egyptian thought to himself. "As will I."

* * *

Yugi scrambled to clean his room in time. Atem was supposed to be back today, and he couldn't have any idea of what Yugi had been doing the last past few days. Not to mention what Grandpa would say when he saw the state of things.

The blood from Yugi's eyes had dripped onto his bed, so he had to change his sheets. Yugi had to throw out the broken objects, and put any misplaced objects into their spots.

Finally, Yugi finished, and he sat down on his bed, holding his face in his hands. "It can't happen again." he thought firmly. "I won't let it. But how am I supposed to control it? What if I hurt someone!?"

At his emotional outburst, a glass of water cracked and its contents spilled out onto his desk. Yugi growled in frustration, and the glass shattered. He stared blankly at the mess he had remade, and eventually sighed. He would have to keep a close check on his emotions.

He made to clean up the glass fragments and the pool of water. "Am I just going to cause destruction all the time?" he thought despairingly.

The door downstairs opened and let in Atem and the Hawkinses, interrupting his distressed thoughts. "Yugi?" Atem's voice called out. "I'm home!"

Yugi darted downstairs, anxious to see his friend again regardless of what he had been though lately.

"Atem!" he yelled, jumping on said person and nearly knocking them both to the ground. "It's so good to have you back…" he said into Atem's chest.

Atem chuckled and hugged Yugi in return. "It's good to be back, Yugi."

"Hi, sweetie!" said a high-pitched voice from a certain self-proclaimed child genius, as she grabbed Yugi around the waist and squeezed him until he squeaked.

"Uh, Rebecca!" Yugi exclaimed nervously. "You're… here." he stated. Somewhere in the kitchen, a lightbulb broke.

"Mm-hm." Rebecca said. "And Atem was sweet enough to tell me you've been nice and loyal while I've been away."

Yugi cast a violent glare in Atem's direction. Atem looked at the ceiling, trying and failing to appear innocent.

"Maybe we could have a cup of coffee sometime, Yugi." Rebecca said, winking mischievously at him.

"You drink coffee?" Yugi asked, surprised. She was only twelve!

Rebecca let Yugi go and fumed at him. "What are you trying to say, darling? Do you think I'm too _young _for coffee?!"

Rebecca, although small, could do serious damage when upset. Yugi thought it would be best not to incur her anger. Yugi earnestly shook his head. "No, it's just… coffee makes me jumpy, so I thought it might do the same to you." he said hurriedly.

"It's not the only thing that makes you jumpy…" Atem murmured absently. Yugi blushed and glared at him again. Another lightbulb broke.

"It's good to see you again, Yugi." Dr. Hawkins said, smiling as he saved Yugi from his uncomfortable conversation. Yugi nodded gratefully. "We'll be staying in Domino to continue our research. Feel free to stop by anytime."

"Thanks." Yugi said, as Atem began to haul his luggage upstairs. The Hawkinses made their way to the exit, waving goodbye.

"See you soon, Yugi!" Rebecca said, before skipping out the door.

Yugi sighed in relief. He had gotten through the greeting without being forced into a date with Rebecca and without breaking anything (or so he thought). It was an extremely fortunate exchange. He walked upstairs to talk to Atem, who was staring at the usually tidy room.

"Did you clean up?" Atem asked. Yugi didn't clean unless something bad had happened. Should he be worried?

"Oh!" Yugi said. "I, uh, wanted to make sure you came home to a clean house, that's all." he stammered nervously. A third lightbulb broke.

Atem smiled. Good, no one had gotten hurt. "Thanks. That's very kind of you." he said, and began to unpack.

Yugi leaned on the doorway, watching Atem for a few moments. He had missed the graceful, regal poise with which Atem moved. "You want something to eat?" he asked.

"Yes, please." Atem said. "Anything is fine."

Yugi went into the kitchen to make two grilled cheese sandwiches, when suddenly he noticed the broken lightbulbs.

"Something's wrong with me…"

* * *

Who wants to guess what's wrong with Yugi? Anyone?

Cya!


	2. Accidentally on Purpose

Hello everyone, and thank you for your reviews! I actually got seven… which is more for one chapter than I have ever gotten before! Some of you guessed correctly and some of you didn't guess at all… but I hope that your curiosities will be answered in the following chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

It was 3:30am. Yugi was sitting stiffly in a kitchen chair, staring relentlessly at an empty paper cup. It was light, so it probably would be easiest for what he was trying to accomplish.

Yugi squinted at it, feeling frustration and aggravation build in his mind as the paper cup stubbornly stood still.

"This is pointless…" he thought to himself. "The only time it's going to happen is when I don't want it to happen."

He suddenly felt a pressure in the front of his head. It was odd, yet at the same time familiar. The pressure grew, until it released itself with a short throb. The paper cup crumpled.

Yugi leaned back in his chair, awestruck. "I did it." he whispered. His quiet celebration was cut off by a wet stream dripping down his cheek. He wiped it off with his hand and looked at it. Blood. His eyes were bleeding again.

He sighed and got a paper towel to clean his face. His eyes bled two days ago as well. It seemed to happen whenever he tried to control his powers. It was aggravating. Would it ever stop? There was so much that Yugi didn't know about what was happening to him… but Yugi pushed it from his mind. No time for that now.

He kept the paper towel in his hand, and focused on the cup again. "Move." was the single command echoing in his mind. "Move."

The pressure built again. But instead of releasing in one swift pulse, it remained in his head, growing stronger and more painful. Yugi winced and gritted his teeth, but he kept trying. The cup slowly slid a half-inch to the right, and stopped. His eyes were bleeding now, he knew it, but he wasn't going to stop yet.

Yugi focused harder, until the pain in his mind grew to Yugi's limit. The cup slid another two inches to the right, and stopped again. Yugi let go of his power, and panted. Sweat and blood trickled down his face. He quickly wiped it off with the paper towel before it stained the shirt of his pajamas and left evidence of his activities. He didn't want Atem to know what he was doing, especially after he went through painstaking efforts to leave the bedroom unnoticed. Atem could be annoyingly attentive sometimes.

Yugi shakily got up and threw the paper cup away. Then he went into the bathroom and tore the paper towel into small shreds, flushing them down the toilet. Now no one would know.

Utterly exhausted from his late-night (or early morning) practice, he stealthily crawled back into his bed beside the sleeping pharaoh, and silently bade him another goodnight.

* * *

Atem had been learning to cook. Ever since his first disastrous experience with the stove in his new body, he had been determined to master the culinary arts.

Since that time, Atem had managed to cook up a number of vile things that poor Yugi was morally obligated to choke down. Except Yugi didn't seem to mind—regardless of the strange, smoky smell, Yugi happened to enjoy most of Atem's cooking. It wasn't the same with the others, however. Only once in their blessedly slim experiences had Atem actually made something that they considered edible - pancakes. This was not what Atem was making now.

Atem stirred the scrambled eggs in the pan. He had the manual dexterity, for sure, but proper ingredient combination eluded him. For a moment, Atem had considered including blueberries or chocolate chips, just like in the pancakes, but thankfully he rethought it.

Yugi stumbled into the room about thirty minutes after Atem had starting cooking, still looking tired regardless of the fact that he had slept in until 11. He staggered at the bright lights and held his head. He looked terrible—his eyes were bloodshot and had dark circles beneath them.

"Yugi, have you been drinking?" Atem mocked. Atem was concerned, though. Was Yugi sick?

Yugi tried to glare at him, but was too tired to succeed. "I'm alright." he muttered, resting his head on his skinny arms.

Atem laughed. "I'm kidding, partner." The joke had brought other questions to his mind, and curiosity overwhelmed him. "What have you been doing while I was gone?"

Yugi juggled what to lie. He tried to stall. "Nothing important. Why don't you tell me about your trip?"

"Well, the first day—" Atem was cut off by the ring of the kitchen phone. Yugi answered it.

"Mutou residence." he said groggily.

"Hey, Yug'!" Joey said cheerfully. "Guess what?"

Yugi mumbled incomprehensibly in response.

Joey was fazed slightly, but overlooked it and went on. "I got an overtime bonus from work! I figured I'd pay you and da gang back for all the times you fed me!"

This woke Yugi up. "Seriously, Joey? Wow, thanks!" The only downside was that he wouldn't get to eat Atem's food… what was he putting in there now? It looked like radishes…

* * *

Tea loved brunch. It was her favorite meal. It wasn't breakfast, because you ate it late. It wasn't lunch, because you ate breakfast food. It was brunch. And she especially loved being able to eat brunch for free.

"I still can't believe you're paying for us, Joey." she said, punching him lightly in the arm as they walked into Brunch and Linner, a diner that specialized in the somewhat overlooked meals of life.

"What are you talkin' about, Tea?" Joey asked sincerely. "I buy stuff for you guys all the time."

The gang cleared their throats, but remained silent. "Table for five, please!" Joey requested from the lady at the register.

She smiled and ushered them to a large table. Tea picked up the menu and nearly passed out for joy. "Brunch food…"

Atem laughed and looked at Yugi. "Does she really like brunch this much?"

"Oh, yeah." Yugi said. Atem nodded and became lost in his thoughts. Apparently, he was planning their next date.

"You ready to order?" asked the kind, tall waitress. Everyone told her their orders, and she walked off to go report to the chef.

Tea glared at Yugi. "You know what happens when you drink coffee, Yugi." she said.

Yugi fidgeted uncomfortably under her gaze. "I like coffee…" he said, and looked out the window to avoid her drilling stare.

The waitress came back, carrying a pot of coffee and two glasses of orange juice. Yugi continued staring out the window as she set everything down. He watched a man begin to cross the street, when in an instant a car traveling at break-neck speeds hit the man and threw him into an alley.

Yugi, horrified, jumped into the air. As he did this, the pot of coffee the waitress held exploded and she and the entire gang were covered in the scalding hot liquid.

Everyone yelled as the coffee hit their faces. Yugi was scarred, now emotionally and physically. Once the waitress recovered, she hastily apologized.

"I'm so, so sorry. Please don't sue or anything."

Atem shook his head as he wiped the black liquid from his face. "We won't sue. I'm sure it was an accident."

The waitress hurriedly cleaned up the pieces of glass and all the coffee that hadn't been absorbed into the gang's clothing. "You're food will be ready in a moment…" she mumbled as she rushed off.

Joey was the first to laugh. "Somethin' weird always has ta happen ta us, huh?"

Tea sighed. "Coffee got into my orange juice..."

"That was weird, wasn't it?" Tristan mused. "I've never since a coffee pot explode on its own like that."

"Yeah," Yugi said, although he knew that he was the one who had done it. "It was weird."

* * *

Yugi sat on the living room couch while Atem read in the bedroom. "I wonder what happened to that waitress?" he asked himself. "Did my powers get her into trouble? Was she fired? What if she really needed that money?"

Each thought caused him more pain, until there was a raging turmoil in his stomach. He moaned and lay on his side.

"Something wrong, Yugi?" asked his grandfather as he walked into the room.

Yugi looked at him. "Nothing's wrong, Grandpa…" although his tone gave him away.

His grandpa laughed. "I know you're seventeen, my boy, and you don't want to share everything with me. But whatever's going on, it can't be bad enough that you can't tell anyone."

Yugi sighed and tried to believe him. But Yugi didn't really think that Grandpa knew what he was talking about.

Grandpa continued. "You have a whole group of friends that love you. You've saved each others lives more times than you could count. Doesn't that mean something?"

Yugi still didn't respond. Grandpa patted Yugi on the back and walked out. "You're going through something, I know. Something that you think you can't tell anyone about. But you'll understand sometime, Yugi, that we'll never leave you."

"Is he right?" Yugi thought. "Would they really accept me if I told them…? No. I can't take that chance. Their friendship means more to me than anything. I won't jeopardize that."


	3. Save Yourself

Finally! I haven't been able to update for way longer than I wanted to! I think FF was having some problems... I tried not to use curse words in the following, although it might have been appropriate. I don't really like to curse, though, so I just wrote some other stuff.

Enjoy!

* * *

Yugi and Tea were walking down an alleyway off one of the streets in Domino. It was the fastest way to get between Tea's house and Yugi's house, if not the cleanest.

"I've never watched that many hours of movies at one time." Tea said, holding her head. They had just gotten finished with a sleepover, during which they had watched the extended editions of every Lord of the Rings film.

Yugi giggled hysterically. "It was fun! Are you saying it wasn't fun? But it was fun!" he said quickly. He had drunk some coffee at Tea's house at around five in the morning, and it was just kicking in. It was the sweet, gourmet stuff, complete with extra sugar, chocolate, and whipped cream.

Tea just shook her head. She had always warned him about the side-effects, but he never listened. Just like all of her male friends.

"Did you think you could just do that to me, whore?" asked an angry male voice from the end of the dark alleyway.

Yugi and Tea stood still. Each was afraid of the man at the end of the alley, but Tea knew that voice from somewhere else.

"Who are you?" Yugi asked. He sounded strangely brave considering what he felt on the inside—fear. Fear that wrenched his stomach like a toffee-puller.

"I knew who you are." the man said, full of wrath. He stepped out of the darkness, and Tea instantly recognized him.

"Derek?"

"Remember me, do you?" the blond-haired man seethed. He pulled out a hand-gun from his back pocket.

Yugi heart nearly stopped. He could only imagine what Tea was feeling. But terror or not, he instinctually moved in front of her, protecting her. He didn't even realize he did it until the man supposedly named "Derek" began to laugh.

"Aren't you the noble one, _Yugi_?" Derek spat. He turned toward the dancer, who was staring at him, wide-eyed at a deer in headlights. "Well, now you get to watch your boyfriend die, Tea."

Tea screamed as the gun went off. Yugi closed his eyes, not bearing to watch as the bullet sped towards him. He expected to die right there. But nothing happened. He heard the man gasp in shock and run off, and only then did he reopen his eyes.

The bullet floated in front of his face, not moving an inch. Tea stood with her mouth open, staring at it.

Yugi choked and the bullet fell to the ground.

Tea breathed heavily. She must have been holding her breath without knowing it. "Was it a miracle?" she asked quietly.

"… I don't know what it was, Tea." Yugi lied. He knew what it was. And he knew that his powers had just saved his life.

* * *

Atem was alone in the house, because Yugi was over at Tea's and Grandpa was managing the shop. He had taken the opportunity to study more about mechanical physics. It was a fascinating subject.

Yugi was supposed to get back at noon, but he was running a few minutes late. It was unusual—Yugi was normally so caffeine-stimulated that he ran home within just a few moments.

He heard the door open downstairs, and voices mumbling. Tea always followed Yugi back to his house to hang out for a few more moments, and Yugi did the same.

"That was not normal, Yugi." Tea said. She sounded very upset.

"I know it wasn't normal, Tea." Yugi retorted. "But what are we going to do about it?"

Atem heard them walk upstairs. "I don't know!" Tea exclaimed. "Research or… something! Ask Atem. He knows about this sort of stuff."

Atem stepped out into the hallway. "I know about what kind of stuff?" he asked. Both Tea and Yugi looked extremely disconcerted.

Tea sighed and began to explain. "We were on the way back to my house. We were going down one of the faster alleyways, but we saw… we saw a man."

Atem had a feeling that this was not good news. He watched the 5 o'clock news with Grandpa, and was astonished at the amount of violence that occurred on a daily basis. "What happened?"

"I knew him. He was… one of my old boyfriends. Derek." said Tea.

Atem nodded. From what he had learned of this modern age, it was customary to have more than one boyfriend in a lifetime. If the two didn't get along, they would "break up". Since he was Tea's boyfriend now, he assumed that this Derek was a boyfriend who had been broken up with.

"He was really angry… he called me a whore."

Atem was familiar with that term, and was not going to accept his girlfriend being called such. "Where is he?" Atem said venomously. Even Yugi backed up, recalling that usually when Atem used that tone of voice some unfortunate soul was sent to the Shadow Realm. Return ticket not included.

Tea shook her head. "I don't know, he ran off. That's not… that's not important, though."

Atem's feeling of apprehension grew stronger. Tea was not a person who took insults lightly. If that wasn't important, then something _very_ bad must have happened.

"He pulled out a gun."

Atem gasped. "Did anyone get hurt?"

Yugi looked down. Tea continued. "No, no one got hurt. That's the thing, though. Derek fired his gun, straight at Yugi, but…"

"Yugi, too?" Atem thought. "This man has gone too far…"

"… the bullet never hit him."

Atem was shocked. "Did the gun misfire?"

"No." Tea said emphatically. "When I finally got the courage to look, the bullet was just… floating there."

"In the air?"

Yugi nodded. "Right in front of my face." Yugi decided that he should try to act like Tea. Anything else would seem suspicious.

Atem pondered on this. "Floating?" he wondered aloud. "I have heard of telekinetics before, but I've never met one."

Tea was surprised, so Yugi acted surprised too. "Telekinetics?" she asked. "So they exist? I mean, I've watched Carrie, but I never figured that it was real."

"Yes," Atem explained. "Not much is known about them, except for the fact that they can move objects with their minds. It's possible that one was nearby. It's… fortunate that they helped you." Atem tried to seem fairly casual, but his insides were raging.

"How could I let my friends be in such danger?" he berated himself. "If that telekinetic wasn't there, then… Yugi, my Yugi, would be dead. And Tea as well. All because of this one man? I should make him pay for what he has done, but this infernal modern-day legal system prevents me from taking vengeance on my own. I have no proof, no evidence. There's nothing that I can do."

Yugi seemed to sense his thoughts. "Atem…" he said quietly, putting his hand on Atem's. "It's not your fault. Don't worry about it."

Though the words were soft, they were great in strength. Atem smiled at Yugi. He could be so kind… Atem never wanted to lose him.

"Maybe we should do some research on these telekinetics." Tea suggested. "We could find this person, thank him. If he's helped us so much, then..." Tea's words failed her for a moment. "I just want to thank him."

Atem walked toward the kitchen. "Then I'll call Joey and Tristan. We'll find this person, if we can."

Atem's words hit Yugi. "They'll find me?" he asked himself. "Can they? What if they find out and… no, I have to get rid of this power, somehow. And maybe someone I know can help me with that."

* * *

Dr. Hawkins was packing up his lab for the evening. "Another productive day at the proverbial office." he said to himself, chuckling. Now it was time to relax, have some tea, and talk with his granddaughter about his findings.

He picked up his briefcase and made to walk out the door, but a soft rapping on that door stopped him.

"Now, who could it be?" he wondered. "Not many people would come to my lab at night."

He walked forward and answered the door. A pale, miniscule boy with outrageous hair stood in the entrance.

"Yugi?" Dr. Hawkins asked. "What are you doing here?"

Yugi looked nervous and played with his hands. "Dr. Hawkins…" he mumbled softly.

"Yes?" the professor replied. Dr Hawkins found it strange—Yugi didn't usually act this way. He could be shy, especially around Rebecca, but he wasn't _this_ shy.

"Do you… do you think you could help me with something?" Yugi asked. He seemed almost afraid.

"Of course." Dr. Hawkins said, confused. "Come in."

Yugi walked in. He looked shaky and anxious.

"So what do you need help with?" Dr. Hawkins said cheerfully, offering Yugi a stool to sit on.

Yugi sat gratefully, but avoided the professor's gaze. "Dr. Hawkins… you know… about supernatural stuff, don't you?"

"Somewhat, but nothing in depth." Dr. Hawkins said regretfully. "I would like to know more, however. My experience with Atem has peaked my curiosity."

Yugi nodded. "Well, maybe I could help with that." he offered. "Maybe we could help each other."

"Alright," Dr. Hawkins said. He was excited at the prospect of a new discovery. "What is it that we're helping each other with?"

Yugi got up off the stool and searched around the room for something. He picked up a pencil at set it on the table in front of him. But then he stopped, and looked up at Dr. Hawkins. "You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone else about this, OK?"

Dr. Hawkins was surprised. "No one?" he asked. "Not even your friends? Your grandfather?"

"No!" Yugi shouted. He took a deep breath, ashamed of having yelled at the professor. "No one. Not Rebecca and especially not them."

Dr. Hawkins hated keeping secrets from his granddaughter, but he nodded in consent.

"OK…" Yugi said, and began to stare at the pencil. Nothing happened for a while, but Yugi knitted his brows in concentration and, seemingly of its own accord, the pencil began to levitate.

Dr. Hawkins gasped. This was a bigger secret that he had bargained for.


	4. Hide and Seek

Yugi held the pencil in mid-air for a few moments, and then dropped it back onto the table. No one said anything. The only sound that could be heard was Yugi's heavy breathing.

"… Dr. Hawkins?" Yugi asked finally. "Please, say something."

"Is this how the others would react?" Yugi wondered. "Would they look at me as though I was some sort of freak?"

Dr. Hawkins cleared his throat. "That… was certainly interesting." That was all he could manage to say. His mind was racing, however. A million questions bubbled in his thoughts because of that one act.

Yugi looked fearful again, and began to pace. "It's not like I wanted this power, Professor!" he said. He was making excuses for the thing he had moments before wanted to share. "It just happened! I don't know how, or why, but…" Yugi paused, his eyes brimming with tears. "I want to get rid of it."

"Get rid of it?" Dr. Hawkins asked. "Why would you want to get rid of it? It seems like an amazing ability."

Yugi growled in frustration. "You don't understand, Dr. Hawkins! Every time I'm angry or upset, something breaks. I'm constantly worried that my friends will find out and hate me or fear me because of it. I might have cost a woman her job! Living with this has been horrible!" he said, gritting his teeth in anger.

Objects on the table began to shake and a few glass beakers shattered. Yugi held his head, squeezing his eyes together.

Dr. Hawkins raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Alright, it's alright, Yugi. I understand." he said hurriedly, before something more valuable was damaged.

The objects stopped shaking and Yugi opened his eyes again. "I will help you as best I can, Yugi," Dr. Hawkins said slowly, not wanting to upset Yugi any further. "But I don't know if I can help you."

Yugi sighed and sat down on the stool again. "You will try, though, won't you?" he asked. The poor boy sounded desperate. What kind of person wouldn't help him?

Dr. Hawkins walked up to him, putting his hands on Yugi's shoulders. "Yes, I will try. But first I'm going to need to conduct some tests."

Yugi nodded vigorously. "Anything you need, Professor. Anything."

"Calm down, calm down," Dr. Hawkins laughed. "We'll work everything out in due time. First, I need you to tell me when you first discovered these abilities." he said, taking out a pad of paper and a pen.

"OK…" Yugi said hesitantly. "It was the 18th, the day after you and Atem left for Egypt." Dr. Hawkins urged him on. "I was doing the dishes, and I was having some problems getting off the cheese from a grilled cheese sandwich I made. I scrubbed and scrubbed but it wouldn't come off. I got so frustrated, when suddenly… the pan I was scrubbing disintegrated. I was in denial, at first. So I ignored it. But then, two days later, I was reading, when suddenly the book started to levitate. I tried to stop it, and my eyes started to bleed. More things started to move and I kept trying to stop it, until a few objects broke. Everything was still after that."

Dr. Hawkins nodded, scratching a few notes on his tablet. "So how old are you, Yugi?"

"Seventeen," Yugi answered, wondering why Dr. Hawkins needed this information.

"Have you been noticing anything else lately?" Dr. Hawkins asked. "Attraction to girls, for instance, or changes in voice?"

Yugi shook his head. "None of that."

Dr. Hawkins hummed, and wrote more on his paper. "Well, that's all for the overture. Let's get down to some important business." He walked over to a desk and took out an impressive looking needle.

Regardless of Yugi's current situation, Yugi felt a strong twinge of trepidation as he looked at that needle. "I'm going to need a sample of your blood," Dr. Hawkins explained, as he grew closer to Yugi with the large needle he held. Yugi instinctually backed up. "It will give me your DNA as well. No reason to be afraid."

"No reason to be afraid?" Yugi thought. "Want me to poke _you_ with that thing?"

Nevertheless, Yugi held still. Yugi squeaked as the needle punctured his skin, and was happy to get it out of his arm as quickly as possible. Dr. Hawkins put a few samples into various machines and typed something into a nearby computer. The machines began to whir and spin. Yugi wondered what they were doing.

Dr. Hawkins bent down and opened another drawer. "Hopefully it's not another needle…" Yugi wished. Instead, it was some sort of strange device. Dr. Hawkins walked up to Yugi and placed the device on his left temple. It stung as it made contact. Apparently, it was another needle.

"Now, Yugi," Dr. Hawkins said as he entered more data into his computer. "I'm going to ask you to levitate that pencil once more for me. This device will read your brain functions as you do it."

Yugi nodded and focused on the pencil again. He visualized it floating as the pressure grew in his mind. The pencil began to hover, and images flashed on the computer screen.

"Hold it for as long as you can," Dr. Hawkins said. Yugi and Dr. Hawkins remained in that position for the next five minutes or so, until Yugi's eyes and nose started to bleed.

"Yugi, stop now!" Dr. Hawkins exclaimed as he saw the crimson liquid. He rushed over to Yugi and gave the boy a glass of water. What else could he do?

Yugi took it and drank shakily. "That happens when I use my powers a lot," he explained with a raspy voice. "It used to happen faster."

"It's possible that your abilities are growing in strength as you continue to use them," Dr. Hawkins said as he looked over the data that his experiment had given him.

Yugi wiped the blood from his face and looked over the bright, glowing image that Dr. Hawkins was studying. "So is that my brain?" he asked curiously.

Dr. Hawkins laughed. "Indeed, it is. Notice, Yugi, how the frontal lobe shows much more activity during the use of your powers."

The frontal lobe. Atem had been studying human anatomy, and had explained the functions of the four lobes of the brain to Yugi. He hadn't remembered all the details, but he vaguely recalled that the frontal lobe controlled voluntary motor functions, among other things.

"So, my powers are basically like a muscle?" Yugi asked.

Dr. Hawkins looked surprised. "Yes, it seems that way. Very good insight."

Yugi blushed. "So, how would I get rid of it?" he asked, returning to why he was there.

Dr. Hawkins shook his head sadly. "Based on this preliminary information, removal of your abilities would take extensive brain surgery. But since we really don't know what we're doing, we could seriously damage your emotions, volition, and personality. I'm not a medical doctor myself, but if I was I certainly would not be willing to take the risk."

"So, you're saying…" Yugi suppressed his sadness and anger before anything else was broken or damaged. "I'll never be able to get rid of it?"

Dr. Hawkins sighed. "It doesn't look that way, Yugi. I'm very sorry, but perhaps this is a good thing." Yugi turned away from him. He didn't see how any of this could be good. "Your abilities are growing in strength and your control is increasing," Dr. Hawkins explained. "This power could be a blessing, and not a curse like you believe."

Yugi considered what he said. "It did save my life… and probably Tea's too," he thought.

Yugi turned to Dr. Hawkins. "We won't try to get rid of it." Dr. Hawkins sighed in relief. "But I want to know why I am the way I am. Can you help me with that?"

"Absolutely," Dr. Hawkins said. "I have your DNA and your blood work here. Come back tomorrow, at around noon, and I might have your answers."

Yugi nodded in thanks and bade him goodbye as they both left the lab. He walked down the street, and wondered how he would explain his absence to the others.

* * *

"So what do we search for?" Joey asked, leaning over Yugi's computer. Technically, it was the family computer, but Yugi was the only one who really used it. Both Atem and Grandpa were more comfortable with a good, old-fashioned book.

Tristan thought about it. "I don't know. We could just search for 'telekinesis', but there are a whole bunch of fictions out there about it. We'd just get a bunch of useless hits."

"Do you think something like this would be in a newspaper article of some kind?" Atem asked.

Tea shook her head. "There's a reason that nobody believes that telekinetics exist."

"Maybe we should just search for 'paranormal phenomenon in Domino' or something," Tristan suggested.

"That might work." Atem said, and typed the phrase into the search engine. 12,536 hits came up.

"It's gonna be a long night," Joey said.

For hours, they piled through website after website, each one documenting a strange event in Domino's history. The city was a hotspot for weirdness. As they scanned the sundry hits, Atem suddenly noticed Yugi's prolonged disappearance. "Hey, guys?" he said. "Where do you think Yugi is?"

"Oh, yeah," Tea said, her face becoming pensive. "I saw him leave earlier. He said something about going over to the Hawkins's place."

"The Hawkins's?" Tristan asked. "Why would he go there?"

"Maybe he's hangin' out wit' his _girlfriend,_" Joey mocked, laughing.

Atem shook his head. "I don't think Yugi's very interested in Rebecca, Joey."

"Yeah, she's only like twelve, right?" Tea said. "Still, I think it's weird. We'll have to ask him when he gets back."

"Yep!" Tristan said cheerfully. "And then he can join the research party!"


	5. The Treachery of Treachery

This is the infamous chapter 5! I accidentally deleted this one and had to rewrite the entire thing! It made me very depressed... hopefully your reviews will make up for that! Enjoy!

* * *

Yugi walked into the Game Shop, exhausted from his experiments with Dr. Hawkins. It was late, and the street-lights had come on outside. He trudged up the stairs, and he heard the voices of the others in their bedroom. They were still here?

He peered around the corner, hoping that he would have an opportunity to think of an excuse before they noticed he was home.

"Where have you been?" Atem asked, getting up from the living room and stopping Yugi in the hallway. The others peered curiously from behind him.

No such luck.

Yugi struggled to find an excuse. "Oh, I-I w-was, um, over at the Hawkins's. Rebecca called me earlier and wanted me to come over."

He heard a faint "told ya so" from Joey. Did they have a bet going or something?

"It's strange that you would stay so late, Yugi." Atem noticed, looking at the clock. "It's almost nine."

Yugi laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry. She wouldn't really let me leave." he lied. Each lie dug him deeper and deeper into a pit of deceit. Yugi hated it, but not as much as the prospect of his friends abandoning him.

Atem nodded, although he didn't really seem convinced. Yugi hastily decided to change the subject. "What have you guys been doing?"

"We were trying to see if we could find any other instances where a telekinetic might have been present." Atem explained. "We were looking through any paranormal events in Domino and seeing if there was something out of the ordinary that could be connected to such a person."

"That way we could try and find out who it was that helped us earlier." Tea finished for him.

"Did you find anything?" Yugi asked. What if they _had_ found something? What if they knew!?

"I'm afraid not," Atem said sadly. "We've narrowed it down quite a bit, though." Good, nothing to worry about. Yet. The gang had a now nasty habit of finding out the details of any unusual event.

Yugi nodded, and the motion made him swoon. The earlier experiments really had worn him out. "Hey, I'm going to go to bed, alright? Do you think you could finish up here?"

"Going to bed this early, man?" Tristan asked, confused. "It's only nine."

"I'm tired." Yugi explained shortly. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

He walked off to the bedroom and shut the door. The others watched him as he left. "What's wit' him?" Joey asked.

"I'm not sure…" Atem said. "But he's been acting somewhat strangely ever since I came back from Egypt. Did anything happen while I was gone?"

Tea, Tristan, and Joey all looked to the ground, ashamed. "I don't really know, Atem. There was a dance convention that week." Tea admitted. She had been either practicing, stretching, or performing the entire seven days, and hadn't had time to spend with Yugi while Atem was away.

Atem looked at Joey and Tristan. "Don't look at us." Joey said sadly. "We didn't see him either."

"We didn't mean to offend him or anything. We just thought he would appreciate some time to himself." Tristan explained.

"Are you saying that while I was gone, none of you came by to see him?" Atem asked, astonished.

"Do you think that's why he's acting weird?" Tristan asked. "Maybe he thinks we don't like him or something."

"It's possible." Atem said pensively. "But somehow I think it's something else. We'll have to keep an eye out. If anything did happen, and he doesn't want to tell us, then we should assume that it's something he feels is wrong." Yugi wasn't the type to be easily offended. If the gang hadn't come to visit him, he would have forgiven them within an instant.

"We're sorry, Atem." Tea said sadly.

Atem shook his head. "It's alright, Tea. I'll see you tomorrow."

They bade him goodbye and left. Atem walked into the bedroom and changed into navy-blue pajamas. Yugi was already sleeping soundly in their bed. He must not have been lying when he said he was tired.

Atem sat beside him and gently brushed a bang from Yugi's pale, angelic face. "What are you hiding from me, partner?" he asked quietly. He waited for a moment, as if expecting an answer. Yugi just continued to doze. Atem sighed and lay down.

"What does Yugi think he can't tell me?" he pondered restlessly. "We used to share a body; we used to hear each others' thoughts. Now he's keeping secrets…"

Atem's worries haunted him, as he slowly fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

The next day, Atem and Yugi sat at the kitchen table, eating ham sandwiches. Atem was intently watching Yugi, and Yugi was intently watching the clock.

"It's almost noon." Yugi thought as he mindlessly took a bite of his sandwich. "I wonder if Dr. Hawkins has found out anything else."

Atem sat with his arms crossed, perturbed. Not only was Yugi lying to him, but he was ignoring him, too. "Have a date, Yugi?" Atem asked, sounding somewhat harsh.

Yugi was surprised at this question, and Atem's tone was strange. Was he suspecting something?

Yugi searched his brain for a reasonable answer. "Oh, well, I guess you could say that. Rebecca wanted me to come over again today, at noon."

"Ah," Atem said. He decided to try another tactic. It was a little cruel, but he had told Yugi not to keep secrets before. "Are you interested in her?"

"What?!" Yugi yelled, shocked. "Of course not! She's only twelve!"

"You seem to be anxious to see her." Atem continued ruthlessly.

"N-no! That's not it at all, I just…" Atem could see that Yugi was struggling to come up with an excuse. "She gets really mad when you're late!" he managed finally. "I was late yesterday, and it wasn't pleasant…"

"Alright." Atem said hesitantly, not believing a word of it.

Yugi quickly finished his sandwich and put his plate in the sink. "I should go." he said shortly, and rushed out the door.

Atem couldn't help but wonder what he was doing. And he worried that Yugi was doing something that could seriously hurt him.

* * *

Yugi hurried to Dr. Hawkins's house, trying to block out the feelings of guilt that appeared in his stomach. He knew he shouldn't lie to Atem… but he couldn't let any of his friends know about his abilities.

Yugi rapped on the metal door of Dr. Hawkins's lab. The professor opened the door, smiling. "Yugi! Come on it." he greeted, ushering Yugi inside the door.

"Did you find anything?" Yugi asked anxiously. The smile on Dr. Hawkins's face lessened.

"Look at this, Yugi." he said, bringing up a few images on his laptop screen.

The images appeared to be DNA samples. The one on the right appeared to have minute bumps protruding from it.

"The one on the left is a normal, human strand of DNA." Dr. Hawkins said, pointing to said strand. "The one on the right is your DNA."

Yugi leaned closer. "What are those things sticking out of it?"

"I believe they are the source of your power."

Yugi sat down. There really was no hope. "It is in your genes, Yugi." Dr. Hawkins said sadly. "There's nothing I could do, even if I wanted to. You were born to have these powers."

"Oh, that's really comforting." Yugi thought sarcastically. "I was born to be a freak."

"You are going to have to accept these abilities eventually, Yugi." Dr. Hawkins said, resting his hands on Yugi's shoulders.

Yugi growled in frustration and brushed him off. "I can't keep secrets like this, Dr. Hawkins!" he said angrily. "Trying to hide all this time has been like torture!"

"Then don't hide it." Dr. Hawkins said. "You told me, didn't you? You can tell your friends."

Yugi looked away, refusing to make contact with Dr. Hawkins's kind eyes. His fear of rejection wasn't the only thing frustrating him. Ever since Atem had gotten his body back, Yugi had hoped to finally live a normal life. A few things had interrupted that, but maybe, when he graduated or something, he could settle down and be a regular person. But now it was never going to happen. He was never going to be a normal kid again.

"What if they hate me for it?" Yugi lamented sadly.

"I didn't. And I'm sure that they would react even better than I did. They are your friends, Yugi. You're supposed to be able to tell them these things." Dr. Hawkins said, trying his best to encourage him.

Yugi had a feeling like the decision was already made, but Dr. Hawkins continued on. "If I recall correctly, you were friends with Atem at a very unusual period of his existence." Dr. Hawkins observed. "You and the others were all friends with him then and through thick and thin and you are still friends with him now. They will do the same for you, Yugi. And if they don't… then… they weren't really your friends anyway."

Yugi turned back to Dr. Hawkins. "I'll tell them. I'll try."

Dr. Hawkins beamed. "Good. Now, get going before my daughter decides to ask you out." he joked, causing Yugi to run out of the room at high speeds.


	6. Concern

"Hey, man. We're all here to continue dat research party!" Joey said. He, Tristan, and Tea had arrived only moments after Yugi had left for the Hawkins's. It was surprising that their paths hadn't crossed, but the Domino streets were filled with people. They must not have seen him.

"Hello, everyone." Atem said sadly.

Tea looked at him with concern. "What's wrong?"

Atem exhaled. "Something really is wrong with Yugi. He went over to the Hawkins's just a minute ago… or so he told me."

Everyone felt the same way as Atem did. They hated to see Yugi suffer… even more so when he tried to hide it. It only made them feel worse, to think that Yugi didn't trust them enough to tell them what he was going through.

"Let's do some more research." Tea suggested, trying to break the melancholy mood. "It might take our minds off it."

"Should we take our minds off it?" Atem asked her. "Yugi could be in danger. I couldn't… I couldn't risk losing him like I did before."

Tea knew what he was talking about, even if Joey and Tristan didn't. He still felt guilty because Derek had tried to kill her and Yugi. There was nothing he could have done, and Atem knew that. But that thought might have just made him feel worse.

Tea walked forward and cupped his downcast face in her hands. "Let's go to the Hawkins's house. If Yugi isn't there, we'll know for that he's been lying to us, and we can confront him when he gets home."

Atem smiled at her. "Thank you, Tea."

"Get a room, you two." Joey mocked. "Let's get goin'."

Atem got his coat and they walked down the street to the Hawkins's house… or so they thought.

"Where is he?" Tristan asked as he saw an empty building.

Tea looked over at the street sign. She growled. "This isn't the right street, Joey! It's one more down!"

Retracing their steps, they walked back to the intersection and moved one more street down. They arrived at a chic looking apartment, and beside it was an impressive looking technical facility. They assumed that it was the lab that Dr. Hawkins used for his research.

Tea stepped forward and confidently rapped on the door. She heard voices coming from the inside, and within a few moments the door opened, revealing a cheerful and smiling professor.

"Tea? Atem?" He asked confusedly. "What are you all doing here?"

"We're looking for Yugi." Tristan explained. "He said he was here." Tristan said the words, but didn't expect that to be the truth.

"Oh, yes, he told you, did he?" Dr. Hawkins replied. Everyone stared at him. Yugi wasn't lying to them? Regardless of their trust in Yugi's character, they had already set their minds on the belief that Yugi was doing something other than what he told them. "He just left." Dr. Hawkins finished.

Atem paused. Something still wasn't right. "Dr. Hawkins… what exactly was Yugi doing while he was here?"

Dr. Hawkins sighed. "He meant to tell you when he saw you at your home. He asked me not to say… I'm sorry."

That was more like it. "So, Yug' wasn't over here wit' your granddaughta, right?" Joey asked.

"No." Dr. Hawkins laughed. "I believe Rebecca understands that Yugi and she are not meant to be together. She thinks he's too old for her, now."

Tea turned to the others. "We must have missed Yugi when we went to the wrong street. We should hurry home so we can talk to him."

"Bye, Professor!" Tristan and the others yelled as they ran down the street in the opposite direction.

They wanted to beat Yugi home, so they raced down a number of less-traveled alleyways to get there in time.

"I knew you'd bring them!" a man yelled. Atem heard Tea scream and spun around.

A blonde-haired man was holding Tea by the throat, pressing a shining, silver hand-gun to her right temple.

She whimpered in fear. "Tea!" Atem yelled. He rushed forward to help her but Derek stopped him.

"Ah, ah, ah," he said in a tone of warning, pressing the gun even harder against Tea's head. "Don't want anyone to get hurt… yet."

"Don't touch her!" Joey said defiantly, clenching his fists in frustration.

Derek laughed. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. But you need to do what I say if you want to increase your odds."

Atem tried to keep himself calm. "What do you want?"

The blonde jutted his head toward an abandoned building. "I got it all set up. I was actually fortunate you passed by… get in the warehouse."

Slowly, they all moved into the dirty stockroom. There were chains attached to the wall. "Chain yourselves up." Derek spat, still holding Tea close to him. She writhed beneath his vice-like grip.

Atem, Tristan, and Joey complied, and within a few moments they were all even more helpless to this man than they were before.

Derek smiled at his success and led Tea to another set of chains. He brutally threw her down, grabbed her wrists, and bound her by the cold, hard, metal shackles.

Derek observed their weakness. "I've got you all where I want you… except for one."

"What do you mean?" Atem asked, although he feared he already knew the answer.

Derek sneered. "_Yugi_. The piece of slime that stole my Tea. He's the one who's going to hurt the most, because he's the one who hurt me the most. Simple logic, really."

"Yugi didn't do anything!" Tea pleaded. "He's just my friend! You and I broke up because you were too violent! Do you think we're actually going to get back together after this?"

Derek stormed over to her and lifted her up by her shirt. "We _will_ get back together."

Tea glared at him, and spat in his face. He growled and slapped her back-handed. She squeaked, and he wiped her saliva from his cheeks.

Atem hated this. Not being able to do anything as his friends were in danger. It physically pained him when Derek hit Tea, but he was helpless. The exact same thing had happened with Yugi before. Atem always tried to protect his friends, but in the end he could be as defenseless as they were.

Derek grinned evilly and reached in Tea's back jeans pocket. She winced in humiliation as he fiddled around and finally pulled out a metallic cell phone.

"Now," Derek said, beginning to dial. "Let's see if your boyfriend's available for a little chat."

* * *

Yugi paused at the front door. "What if they do hate me?" he thought despairingly. "What if..." He stopped, and physically shook his head, as if trying to knock the thoughts loose. "What ifs aren't going to do me any good. I need to get this over with… one way or another."

Bracing himself, he opened the front door and called out, "I'm home!" It was an oddly cheerful greeting, considering the maelstrom of doubt and worry that was raging in his abdomen.

"Yugi!" Grandpa replied. "I'm glad you're back." Grandpa walked down the stairs into the Game Shop. It was Sunday; the Game Shop was always closed on Sundays.

"W-where are the others?" Yugi stuttered.

Grandpa noticed this strange behavior immediately. "What wrong, Yugi?"

"W-well, I j-just wanted to t-talk to them. That's all." Yugi managed.

"Alright, I'll let this one slide." Grandpa laughed. "I trust that all of your secrets will come out in due time. They're not here, though. I believe they went out looking for you."

Yugi was surprised. "For me? Why?"

"They wanted to ask you something. I don't think they're as tolerant of your secrecy as I am, Yugi, and for good reason. They trust you, and they want you to trust them, too." Grandpa explained.

Yugi nodded. "I was going to tell them, Grandpa. It makes it a lot harder when they're not here, though."

Grandpa laughed and went back up the stairs. "Just tell me when it comes back around, OK?"

"OK, Grandpa." Yugi yelled after him. He was about to go upstairs as well, to wait for the others to return, but the ringing of a phone stopped him.

He walked over and picked it up. "Mutou residence."

A cold, angry voice answered. "It's good to talk to you again, Yugi. How are you doing today?"

The voice sounded disturbingly familiar. And the tone in which the man asked the question was completely wrong—it wasn't friendly at all. "Who is this?" Yugi asked.

The man laughed. "Don't remember me? You must have forgotten me, _again_. It's Derek, you stupid midget, and I have a bit of a surprise for you."

Surprise? Any surprise that was coming from Derek was not going to be pleasant. "What do you want?"

"You know the alley off of Partridge Lane? There's a very special warehouse there… all your friends are waiting for you…"

Yugi immediately hung up and speed out of the Game Shop. If his friends were with Derek then that only meant that they were in deep trouble.

"I can't believe this…" Yugi thought as he brushed past crowds of people, running with all the speed he could muster. "This is all my fault! If I had just told them about me in the first place, then they wouldn't have gone out, and they wouldn't have gotten captured! How am I supposed to face them after this… when I could have gotten them killed…?"

A tear slipped down Yugi's cheek and floated in the air behind him as he continued to run. And he hoped that when he got to that warehouse, he would have the courage to help his friends, no matter what he had to do.


	7. Save Me

"Partridge Lane… this is it," Yugi thought as he dashed through a dark alleyway. He faced the dirty door of an old storehouse. His hands were shaking with nervousness, and beads of sweat formed at his brow. Everywhere he turned, he was getting into more and more danger. His friends, too, were in jeopardy every other week. But Yugi knew, as soon as he got his powers, that he would never live a normal life again. Ever since Atem had gotten his memories and a body of his own, Yugi hoped that they could just be regular teenagers, living a regular teenage life. It was impossible, he knew it now.

Yugi opened the door before him, and mentally staggered at the sight before him. His friends were chained to the wall, and Derek sat smugly atop some wooden packing boxes, playfully tossing Tea's cell phone into the air.

"So you made it. Good," he said, hopping off of his perch. "Didn't want you to miss the show."

"What show?" Yugi asked bravely. "What do you want with us?"

Derek laughed harshly. There was no amusement in that laugh. "As I was explaining to your friends here, I want _revenge_. I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to me."

Yugi growled in frustration. "What did I ever do to you? I don't even remember you!"

That only served to make Derek angrier. "Of course you don't remember me!" he screamed, taking Yugi by the shirt collar and pressing a hand-gun to his throat. "That just shows have much you care! You put me through hell and you _don't even remember_!"

Derek, showing impressive strength, tossed Yugi into the back wall. Yugi landed hard, and slumped next to Tea.

Tea was on the verge of tears and tried to reach over to touch Yugi, but her chains wouldn't let her. Atem, Joey, and Tristan could only look on as their best friend was threatened by this maniac.

"You almost made me slip, Yugi," Derek said quietly. "You see, I don't want to kill you yet. That would make it too simple. First, I want to make you watch me kill all your friends. And then I'm gonna kill you."

He walked over to Yugi and pointed the gun towards Tea's leg. "If you want to make her death quick, I suggest you chain yourself up over there."

Slowly and reluctantly, Yugi bent down and bound his ankles and wrists. "Good boy," Derek commented cruelly. "So who's first?" he asked. "Which one of your sorry friends are you going to watch die first?"

Yugi glared at him, but didn't answer. Currently, his brain was working overtime, trying to figure out a way to get out of this situation. "Come on, Yugi," he coached himself. "You've gotten out of situations like this before. There's something you can do… something…"

Derek walked over to Atem. "How about your brother? I'd wager you two are close… so let's start with him."

Atem looked at Yugi. Atem was ready to die, if it was his time, but he couldn't help feeling that he was going to abandon Yugi. He remembered how upset it made him to think that he might lose Yugi. He couldn't make Yugi feel that way. He couldn't.

It was at that moment, at that very thought, that the gun fired. Atem waited. Something was supposed to happen… but nothing ever did. Atem willed himself to look at Derek, or at least look forward. And he saw it – the saw thing that Tea and Yugi had seen. A bullet floating in mid-air before his face.

Atem exhaled. "The telekinetic is here, too?" he thought to himself. His mind was clouded with shock. "How fortunate."

Derek screamed and threw down his gun in frustration. "What is wrong with you people?!" he yelled angrily. "That's the second time I've tried to shoot one of you, and no one's dead yet!"

Atem, shaken out of his stupor, began to realize how strange it was that this telekinetic had been there to save their lives twice. And he also realized how strange it was that Yugi's eyes were glowing.

Yugi was breathing hard, and blood dripped out of his eyes and nose onto his shirt. He stood up, and the links of his chains broke apart, floating in the air around him.

"Yug'…" was all that Joey could mutter, as Yugi walked slowly toward Derek, the utter rage in his aura flowing off of him like water.

Derek was afraid, you could see it in his eyes. He couldn't understand what was happening to Yugi, because he hadn't had quite as weird of a life as the others. As this small, weak-looking boy stepped before him, he shook from head to toe in terror.

The building began to disassemble. Pieces of wood and brick swirled around Yugi like a tornado. Yugi's eyes turned all white, and he smiled like Yugi had never smiled before. It was a twisted, sadomasochistic sort of grin.

Suddenly, Derek's right hand ripped itself from his arm. He screamed and clutched the bleeding stump, tears flowing from his cheeks. The blood sprayed onto Yugi, sprinkling his clothes and face.

The chains holding Atem and the others disintegrated, and immediately Atem rushed to Yugi's side, having to dodge debris that was spinning recklessly around them.

"Yugi!" Atem yelled as he grabbed the teenager by the shoulders. Yugi looked at him with hard, empty eyes. "… This isn't like you, Yugi," Atem said softly. "I know that even after everything this person has done, you don't want to hurt him."

Yugi blinked, and staggered away from Atem. Atem followed him closely and embraced him in a tight hug. "Yugi, if you are in there, please." Atem choked and looked Yugi in the eye. "I love you."

Yugi was shocked. He bent over, holding his head, and wailed in pain. Atem knelt down and tried to comfort him. Yugi looked back up. His normal, amethystine eyes had returned. The pieces of wood and brick fell to the ground.

A smile crept up on Yugi's face. "Thank you for saving me," he said softly. His eyes rolled up into his head and he passed out. Atem quickly caught him before he hit the floor.

"I hope he's alright," Tea said, petting Yugi gently on the back.

"We all do," Tristan said.

Joey looked at the man rolling on the floor, screaming in agony. "What are we going to do with him?"

Atem glowered at Derek with a look that could have done more damage than Yugi did. "Leave him," Atem said with disdain. "Whoever finds him can deal with him. But I believe that he won't be coming back after what Yugi did…"

Atem paused, and looked down at the young telekinetic in his arms, whose face held an unhealthy pallor. His little, innocent Yugi had hurt another human being. Was this why he hadn't told Atem about his powers before? Was Yugi dangerous?

The others shared his thoughts. "Yugi's not the type to do something like that," Tristan said quietly.

"I know," Joey agreed. "He really hurt that dude. I know he was angry, but-"

"'But' nothing!" Tea yelled suddenly. "Yugi's our friend. No matter what he's done or what he's capable of doing, we have to stand by him. It's no wonder that he didn't tell us, considering the way we're acting!"

The rest of them nodded solemnly. "I hope he'll be alright," Atem said, concerned about Yugi's sickly appearance. "Using his powers excessively might have had an extremely negative effect on his health."

"Just look at the dude," Tristan said, leaning close to Yugi's face. "He's got two people's blood on him, and he looks exhausted."

"Let's take him home and get him cleaned up," Tea said. "When he does wake up he'll be with his friends, like he should be."

Atem nodded and they took Yugi home. It was an odd journey—many people were staring at them as they passed by. When Atem, carrying Yugi, and the others got back to the Game Shop, Atem laid Yugi gently on their bed. Atem got a damp cloth and wiped the blood from Yugi's face, and then he and the gang sat quietly as they usually did when one of their friends was knocked unconscious (it happened more often than they would have liked). And patiently, they waited for Yugi to awake.


	8. End of Enmity

Well, this is the last real chapter! This story has been a joy to write. Please understand that I DON'T OWN ANYTHING. Not my house, not Carrie, and definitely not Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

Yugi groaned and sat up slowly. "What happened…?" he asked himself. His head throbbed, and his limbs felt shaky and unstable. He decided not to try to stand for a while.

Flashes of the past day came back to him. He remembered picking up the phone, running down the street, being chained up with the others… but what had happened after that? He couldn't recall, as much as he wanted to.

Feeling steadier, he got off the bed and wearily opened the door. From the hallway, he could hear his friends' voices.

"I hope he will awaken soon," Atem said. "There are some things that I need to ask him."

"We all have things to ask him." That was Tea's voice.

"Let's just hope he doesn't go all Carrie on us," said Tristan. "He could seriously do some damage, and I don't really want any of that directed on me."

Yugi gasped and backed away from the living room door. The others knew what he was? But he had never told them!

"Did you hear that?" Atem said, ever observant.

Joey poked his face outside the living room door and looked around. "Do ya think Yug's up? 'Cause I don't see him."

Yugi had hidden back in the bedroom, trying to rein in tumultuous thoughts. "How can they know if I didn't tell them?" he thought frantically. "What do they think of me?"

"We should go check on him," Tea said from the hallway. "We've been out here talking for a while."

Yugi heard footsteps approaching the doorway and gritted his teeth as he tried to think of what to do. Should he stay as he was and not see let the others know that he had heard what they said? Or should he pretend to go back to sleep, and try to buy more time for his addled thoughts? He never got a chance to decide, though, because Atem and the others walked in at that moment.

"Yugi!" they all exclaimed simultaneously. Yugi fidgeted uncomfortably under their surprised and concerned gazes. They rushed over to his side.

"Are you alright?" Tea asked. Atem, Joey, and Tristan nodded in agreement, peering at him as though he was going to drop dead at any moment.

Yugi looked around at them. "Yeah…" he said confusedly. Why were they asking him that? "What… what happened?"

"Do you remember what happened with Derek?" Atem asked.

Yugi nodded. "The last thing I remember was chaining myself up with you guys… and then… I can't remember anything."

Atem sighed. "Derek tried to kill us, Yugi. But you…" Atem smirked. "You used your telekinesis, and you saved us all."

Yugi looked away, refusing to meet Atem's eyes. "I was going to tell you, Atem, but I didn't know…" he stopped, a few tears welling in his eyes. "I didn't know what you would think of me."

Atem's eyes softened in concern. Joey put his hand on Yugi's spiky head. "Yug', so much weird stuff has happened around you. One way or another, we end up getting' sucked up into it." Yugi looked up at him fearfully. What was he trying to say?

Joey continued. "After two crazy years of knowin' you, dis whole thing is another week in our crazy life. So no hard feelin's, right Yug'?"

Yugi risked a smile. They really accepted him? They really knew what he was, and they were still friends?

Tea hopped energetically onto the bed beside Yugi. "So, show us something cool," she said encouragingly.

"A-are you sure?" Yugi stammered. What if he blew something (or someone) up?

"Of course we're sure, man," Tristan cheered. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"OK…" Yugi said softly, grinning in spite of himself. He focused on the glass of water that sat on his nightstand, allowing the pressure to build slowly in his mind. He released it slowly, as if he was siphoning water from a tap. The water in the cup began to splash to and fro, minute particles detaching from the pool and floating above it. Eventually, the entire glass was empty, and the water it once held made phantasmagoric shapes in the air.

Atem clapped, and the others soon joined in. Yugi blushed humbly and allowed the water to pour back into the glass.

"Nice work," Atem commented, smirking as Yugi turned a light shade of red. He grew more serious, and bent down to look Yugi face-to-face. "You really could have told us sooner, Yugi," he said solicitously. "We aren't going to stop being friends with you just because of that."

Yugi sighed, almost ashamed of his previous worries. "I know, Atem, I just…" Yugi stopped, trying to find the right words. "Your friendship means so much to me, guys," he explained, looking around at their faces. "I didn't want to risk losing you… I can't be alone again…"

Tea leaned over and held Yugi in a warm side-hug. "We were worried that it was something much worse, Yugi," she said. "We had noticed that you had been acting differently these last few days, and we thought that it was something that could have really gotten you hurt."

"I mean, we already go through enough trouble when we know what the problem is. You not telling us made it harder. Just so you know," Tristan said jokingly, crossing his arms in an attitude of faux self-righteousness.

"That's right," Tea said, winking. "Feel guilt."

Yugi looked down. The words may have been jest, but they were true. "I'm sorry if I made you worry about me…"

"I understand why you chose the path you did, Yugi," Atem said. "The past is past, so let us all move on and none of us shall bear any ill feelings. But, Yugi," he said, getting Yugi's undivided attention, "do not think that you have to hide anything from us. There is very little that you could say to incur our enmity."

Yugi nodded happily. Everyone agreed; only Joey seemed unsure. "What's dat?" he asked.

"What do you mean, Joey?" Tea asked. "Do you think that there's more that Yugi could say?"

"No," Joey admitted. "But what does 'enmity' mean?"

Yugi laughed with relief. So everyone was in agreement. "Atem basically said that there's not much I could say to make you guys angry. Right?"

Atem nodded. "Right. Now let's go downstairs and have some lunch. I'm sure you're hungry."

Yugi's stomach grumbled in agreement. "Grilled cheese?" Yugi proposed.

"As long as Yug' makes it." Joey said. Apparently he wished to avoid Atem's cooking also. That was a bad sign – Joey would eat almost anything.

Atem became indignant. "What's that supposed to mean, Joey?"

Joey and everyone else shuffled their feet, trying to think of a merciful response. Tea sighed. "Atem, I have to be honest with you."

"Please do."

"We hate your cooking."

Atem wasn't surprised. He remembered his first attempt, when he had murdered some ham-and-cheese omelettes. Yugi had walked in, taken a bite, and given him a sincere thumbs-up. Atem wasn't quite sure what food Yugi had grown up on, but if he enjoyed Atem's dishes, then it probably wasn't gourmet cooking.

Atem sighed and turned to Yugi. "Do you mind?" he asked.

Yugi pouted. "I like your food…" he mumbled, but he reluctantly agreed. As they walked into the kitchen, Yugi remembered something.

"Does Grandpa know yet?" Yugi asked.

Joey shook his head. "We figured you'd wanna tell him yourself."

"Good," Yugi said. "I'll catch up, OK? You can start taking out the ingredients." He walked down the hall to the Game Shop. There were no voices or clacking of shoes, so there wasn't a customer in at the moment.

Yugi peeked around the corner, finding Grandpa amusing himself by singing a strange song in a warbling voice.

"I called out the wrong name in bed  
You swung a fry-pan at my head  
You told me your name's Winifred  
Your face had turned the color red…"

"Grandpa?" Yugi asked, interrupting Solomon's folk-song solo.

Grandpa laughed heartily and hugged Yugi until the small boy squeaked. "I'm glad you're awake, my boy!" he said, the joy shining from his eyes. "I was quite worried when Atem carried you in here, white as a corpse."

"I'm alright now, Grandpa. And I'd like to explain what happened."

"So the secret has come around to me, has it?" Grandpa said mischievously. "Well, get on with it."

Yugi furrowed his brow, and the card display closest to him moved left about a foot. Grandpa looked startled for a moment, and then he seemed to be thinking very hard.

Yugi hadn't been expecting this response. "Uh… Grandpa? Is… is everything alright?"

Grandpa tapped his bearded chin with one finger, and answered slowly, "I seem to recall meeting a telekinetic somewhere before… It's blurry, but I think I met her in Egypt, on an archaeological dig. She was a nice woman."

"There are others like me?!" Yugi asked incredulously. "You've actually met one?"

Grandpa nodded, more confident in his memory now than before. "Yes. She said that she had gotten her powers when she was about your age, but she hadn't met any others with her abilities."

Yugi was excited. "Is she still alive? Can I talk to her?"

"I'm afraid not, Yugi," Grandpa said sadly. "She died in a cave-in, even before I found the Millennium Puzzle."

"Oh," Yugi sighed. It would have been nice to talk with someone about what he was going through, and to learn more about his powers. How strong would he get, Yugi wondered. And would he be dangerous? Bits and pieces of what happened with Derek began to come back to him. He had nearly killed the man. He would have, if Atem hadn't stopped him. He didn't want to be a threat to anyone…

"Hey, Yug'! You comin' up ta cook or what?" Joey bellowed from the upstairs.

Yugi smiled at Grandpa and ran up to meet his friends. "Sorry, guys. I was talking to Grandpa."

"How'd he take it?" Tristan asked, munching on some potato chips.

"He didn't seem to mind. He had met another telekinetic, but she's dead now," Yugi said, starting to heat the skillet on the stove.

They sat for a while as Yugi busied himself in the kitchen, bantering and laughing. When they began to eat, Atem noticed Yugi looked somewhat pensive. "Something wrong?"

Yugi looked up, startled out of his brooding. "Not really… it's just…"

"What's going on in that worrisome little head of yours, Yugi?" Tea asked, taking a sip from a cold glass of milk.

"I would have killed Derek," Yugi said, bristling with shame at his actions. "I don't want something like that to ever happen again, but I don't know if I can control it…"

"You subconsciously used your powers to stop a bullet in its tracks. You've only had your telekinesis for, what, a week?" Atem asked.

"Yeah… about two days before you got back."

"I am not certain about how your abilities work, but that amount of mental strain combined with the stress of our situation probably triggered your trance." Atem leaned forward, resting a hand on Yugi's to reassure him. "And if it does happen again, we will save you. That's what we're here for."

Yugi smiled. It was alright to be unique, he realized, as long as you had friends to catch you when you fell.


	9. Epilogue: Dusting

This is the final chapter… epilogue… whatever. As always, I would like to give my thanks to my readers for their support.

Thanks to Cheeky-eyes, A.YamiYugi, Arion Girl, Silver Hunteress, Yami Half-Demon, Tala2u, Yugisrose, dragonlady222, Pharaoh'sCrystals, Sancha, Trikki, Journey Maker, yamiyugi23, mel, Shamise, Mei1105, and Tricia for reviewing!

Thanks to Animefang Girl, Arion Girl, I hate the computer, Imagine.EXE, Madison Angel Kaiba, Mahren Yth'raa, Pharaoh'sCrystals, Tala2u, Trikki, WookieeBeta, Yugisrose, and netherzera for favoriting!

Thanks to Animefang Girl, Arion Girl, Madison Angel Kaiba, Trikki, esama, mindreader208, and yamiyugi23 for putting Different on story alert!

Thanks to the 740 people who have read the first chapter!

And I'd like to thank God for giving me the ability and the opportunity to write this fic.

* * *

Everyone in the Mutou house was short. Atem, Yugi, and Grandpa each barely topped 5 feet. So when the time came to clean out the taller shelves in the basement, they all had problems.

"This is all Atem's fault…" Yugi muttered as he strained to reach the top shelf.

"How is this my fault?" Atem asked defensively, brushing the dust off of his clothes.

Yugi sighed as he sat down on the floor. "I'm supposed to be your reincarnation, right? Well, if you weren't short, then Grandpa wouldn't have had to be short so I wouldn't be short. Simple logic, really."

"Simple logic, indeed," Atem said, and then jumped on Yugi, tickling his stomach. Yugi giggled and squirmed, kicking his legs violently as he wriggled on the dusty floor.

"It's not your fault! Uncle! Uncle!!" Yugi yelled, gasping for breath. Atem relented, and turned back to his dusting.

Yugi took advantage of this opportunity. He jumped on Atem's back, sending the latter to his knees at the sudden weight. Atem laughed and bumped backwards into the wall, squishing Yugi slightly, but not enough to hurt him. Yugi yelped and fell off, and Atem pinned Yugi's shoulders to the ground.

"I win again, Yugi."

Yugi grinned mischievously. "Not yet." Atem suddenly felt a tugging sensation around his waist and gasped as he flew six feet into the air and hovered upside-down, suspended by his ankle.

Yugi looked up at his face, clapping his hands triumphantly. Atem chuckled. "Maybe I don't have a way to get out of this one," he admitted.

Yugi stood him upright and dropped him. Atem grinned. "You've gotten a lot better, Yugi. And it's only been a few weeks."

Yugi turned back to his dusting. "Thanks. I practice sometimes, when I'm doing random stuff."

"I've never seen you."

Yugi didn't answer for a moment. "If I accidentally do something I can't handle, I don't want you to get hurt. I'd rather rip apart half of the house than rip apart half of you."

Atem put his hand on Yugi's shoulder. "I trust you, Yugi. You are stronger than you think." Yugi glowed beneath the praise. "I believe that your abilities will do more help than harm. So don't worry so much."

Yugi felt calm all over, as if he had just gotten into bed at night. Atem's words always had that effect on him.

"Let's get this dusting over with, OK?" Yugi said.

"Sure."


End file.
